Clouds Decide to Stick Around for the Weekend

Moist subtropical air flowing in from the ocean will keep Southern California partly cloudy--and just a bit damp--for most of the weekend, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

A weak disturbance in the upper atmosphere offshore sent isolated storm clusters grumbling across the California deserts into Arizona and southern Nevada on Thursday afternoon, with winds gusting briefly to 50 m.p.h.

Weather service officials said some lightning and thunder were associated with these storms, but no damage was reported. Rainfall was minimal in most places, and the system was moving slowly to the northeast, according to the weather service.

The high at Los Angeles Civic Center on Thursday was 69, with humidity ranging from 81% overnight to 47% by mid-afternoon.

Just .23 of an inch of rain fell downtown Wednesday night and Thursday morning, raising the season total to 12.82 inches, nearly two inches below normal, according to weather service statistics.

Forecasters said today's high at Civic Center should be 73, warming to the upper 70s by Sunday.

Those planning a weekend by the sea can expect 2 to 4 feet of surf on a 10-second interval at beaches from Zuma to Newport, the weather service said, with water temperature in the low 60s and air temperature about 70.